“They’re now my new home, they’re my family,” said Amreena about her group members, all mothers of children with disability.
After migrating to Australia, Amreena found it difficult to access information, resources and support because she did not know where to look and who to ask for help. Through the MPN program, she has found a supportive group with a shared cultural background that faces the same day-to-day challenges she does.
Amreena’s group of mothers is one of nearly a hundred groups part of the MPN program, which started three years ago with funding from the Department of Social Services (DSS).
Over the years, the MPN program grew to become a collection of impactful, peer-led support groups promoting independence among people from multicultural communities with lived experience of disability, as well as their carers and families.
Throughout the program, SSI trained 71 emerging community leaders to become peer group facilitators and supported over 1,000 participants with disability across NSW. MPN groups have been instrumental in giving participants and facilitators alike a space to hold relatable conversations, build confidence, and connect with other members.
Free resources available
As the program is soon coming to an end, SSI is launching two new web pages to ensure individuals and partner organisations can learn from our experiences and access resources so that the work continues.
- MPN resources for individuals: How to connect with your community
Contains fact sheets on how people with lived experience of disability can stay informed and where and how to seek out a community group.
- MPN resources for partners: How to start your own peer-to-peer support group
Contains a summary of successes and learnings from the MPN program as well as free resources on how to start a community group.
Continuing the work
The resources we have developed outline a step-by-step process for potential facilitators, program managers, and participants to create peer support groups of their own. They aim to empower others to create awareness around disability, understand disability tools, and the services available for the community.
SSI also offers free facilitator training for community organisations and individuals interested in starting their own community peer groups to deepen their facilitator skills.
You can find out more about the Multicultural Peer Network here or explore fact sheets to help people with a lived experience of disability stay informed here.
We look forward to seeing community groups use these resources to continue running peer groups to empower communities to connect and build capacity.
To learn more about the resources on this webpage, facilitator training or other ways SSI supports community organisations, email community@ssi.org.au.
International Women’s Day is a global celebration that has become a focal point in the women’s rights movement. It offers an opportunity to reflect on successes that have helped to advance gender equality. Here’s what we’ve been doing at SSI to progress women’s rights over the last 12 months.
SSI’s brand – our image and visual identity – traces its roots back to where we began in 2000, as a small settlement agency supporting refugees in Sydney. Fast forward to today, we are a national not-for-profit organisation that offers a diverse range of human services and promotes equal opportunities for all.
Some 19,000 refugees on temporary visas will be able to apply for permanent visas under new changes announced by the Federal Government today.
Bridget Kelly is living her dream life as an artist and business owner, thanks to the support of her family and Ignite Small Business Start-Ups.
(more…)February marks two anniversaries that highlight the generosity and success of Australia’s approach to refugee resettlement.
With over 100 languages spoken and staff from over 75 countries, SSI has grown and changed Australia’s communities through the strength of diversity.
By offering diversity training, SSI shares its knowledge with other organisations to together strive towards a more inclusive Australia – one conversation at a time.
The ANMM took part in a workshop that allowed their team to share experiences, reflect, ask questions and connect with each other. Watch the video to see the training in action and hear the ideas it sparked in participants.
After the training, Ms Habib, Chief People Officer at Australian National Maritime Museum, said it was important for the museum to partner with an organisation like SSI that had similar values, as well as lived experience with diversity and inclusion.
“In social settings, people may not be courageous enough to have these conversations. Training delivered like this has created a safe space to discuss thoughts, challenges or a lack of knowledge,” Ms Habib said.
“It’s about our employees being taken out of their everyday work environment to focus on why it matters, and what they could do differently with regards to diversity and inclusion.”
Janet Irvine, who manages SSI’s diversity training, said that SSI offers training to help build a world where everyone is seen and valued for who they are.
“We believe that through providing training, we can create that change one conversation at a time,” she said.
“There’s a lot of evidence that where there is diversity, and people feel included, they work harder and feel more satisfied in their roles, and that has good outcomes for a company or organisation.”
Ms Irvine said diversity means recognising that everyone has a different perspective to offer.
“If we approach people with that open curiosity, there’s so much for all of us to gain,” she said.
SSI training consultant Lilyana Theodossiou said it’s important for diversity and inclusion to be an ongoing organisational conversation instead of a one-off box-ticking exercise.
“Our census data keeps showing us that we are ever changing in our diversity, so it’s about constant evolution for any organisation.”
Train with SSI
Grounded in 20-plus years’ experience as a leading provider of services to multicultural communities, SSI supports non-government, government and corporate sector employers to drive their diversity and inclusion goals forward.
In the last financial year, SSI’s facilitators led over 170 workshops and engaged over 3,000 participants across organisations in Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific.
SSI provides learning experiences that transform how people respond to diversity in ways that are thought-provoking, inspire curiosity, and build confidence to engage more authentically with cultural diversity.
Explore training options and learn more on SSI’s Diversity Training webpage.
Please join us for the launch of Untapped Potential research, conducted by NATSEM at the University of Canberra, in collaboration with SSI, which explores trends and disparities in the economic participation of migrant and refugee women in Australia. A policy brief, Unlocking Potential, will also be launched which outlines ways to unlock the potential of migrant and refugee women.
Renewal, shared purpose and reflection were at the heart of SSI’s 2022 Annual General Meeting, which brought together more than 160 staff and community members to celebrate the past year.
International Volunteer Day, held annually on December 5, is an opportunity to celebrate the important role volunteers, like Welcome Ambassador Ms. Alaa Al Karam, play in connecting communities and enhancing people’s lives.